


unspoken wish

by ghostsmooches



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Christmas Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Found Family, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Zack Fair Lives, cloud strife gets his hug, i'm sorry this is super super self-indulgent, zakkura
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:40:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28325487
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostsmooches/pseuds/ghostsmooches
Summary: zack loves christmas, not as much as he loves cloud tho.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Kudos: 7





	unspoken wish

**Author's Note:**

> merry christmas!! this is super self-indulgent because i feel really alone!!! hope you enjoy <3

cloud never liked christmas, his mom used to get really sad when it was holiday season and even though he got some little presents and liked to sing with his mom as they played with snow, the sadness was something installed on her during holidays.  
cloud couldn't help but feel even more apathetic than usual seeing his mom like that, claudia who was cheerful and energetic and always smiled to him, would cry in the middle of the christmas dinner. cloud wouldn't know how to act and he usually just looked at her feeling hopelessly sad. he would gave her some kisses and hug her as tight as he could. eventually, he developed a huge hatred towards christmas.  
when he grew a bit more, he always went to the tavern to see people celebrate. his outfit was always the same, he always wore bruises, he used to get into fights a lot in christmas as a teen, they always beat him up on new year, at the back of the building, he always tried to win, got pumped when all those immature kids in town crowded him, but he always ended up laying in the floor, alone, crying for anger. claudia always went to bed early and when the morning came, she checked on cloud as usual, to see his wounded face every single year, to see him sleeping over his sheets, claudia kissed his forehead every year, after brushing his hair off his forehead. cloud woke up every single time to look at his mom's eyes, and she didn't even say anything, she just stared at him.

in midgar he didn't even know when christmas was, he was even more lonely and he didn't care, when someone mentioned it or left to go home, he used to get angry, it was a pointless holiday.  
shortly after he met zack, he insisted on how much he liked christmas and how he wanted to celebrate with him.

however years passed, cloud wasn't able of thinking about christmas without mourning his mom, it was the only time of the year she didn't smile.  
he used to get lost in christmas, every single year, he didn't tell zack, tifa, nor aerith. no one knew where he was.  
"that's what he always do, he runs away. he's a coward." barret said every single year at the seventh heaven, the same phrase.  
zack always defended him, erasing that idea of everyone's mind.  
everyone came on christmas, barret, yuffie, vincent, cid, reno, rude, tseng, elena, even rufus. they had dinner at the seventh heaven and they got drunk, laughed, messed around, every year, marlene loved seeing her family that happy. she always pulled cloud by his sleeve when he came back.  
"why do you go away, cloud? christmas is for families" every single time, cloud got sad at marlene's words.

but this year was different. this year zack and him were dating and the raven warned him he wouldn't let him go, cloud didn't plan on leaving that year, but he wasn't attending the damned dinner, that was not his style, and besides, he had so much work to do, deliveries increased on christmas.  
but he was curious about it, he knew how much zack loved this and he surely wanted him to go but zack didn't mention it, he knew the whole story though.  
"are you… are you all celebrating christmas this year?" cloud asked when they were having dinner at the seventh heaven, marlene wasn't excited. tifa looked at zack briefly.  
"the others can't come" zack said sadly. "i guess we'll have to do it aerith, tifa, marlene and me alone because they aren't able to come…" cloud looked at tifa. "because of course, we can't count on you."  
"i'm busy"  
"you're always busy" tifa blabbered..  
"how come they cannot come?"  
"this year's been rough, cloud" tifa approached them. "they're busy too"  
that was true, the year had been a pain in the ass, cloud was kind of excited about its ending.  
while walking home, cloud saw the decoration all around the city, he didn't realize.  
"maybe if you are alone i can have dinner with you guys." zack held his hand tighter.  
"really?"  
"but you won't get me drunk."  
"okay, okay, you're amazing cloud!"

this was a week before christmas. the atmosphere was sad, everyone was so sad because no one was going. cloud kept working as usual, ignoring calls and getting yelled at by zack, aerith and tifa every single day, their life was just as always.  
"what do you want for christmas, cloud."  
"i have everything i need."  
"no you don't" zack tucked his hair behind his ear. "tell me, cloud, what do you want?"  
"i have you. that's what matters." zack smiles big, ruffling his hair.  
"you are tired." zack whispered kissing his cheek. "we'll talk tomorrow, okay?" cloud nodded "i love you." zack caressed cloud's nose with his.

christmas morning was really busy, for everyone.  
cloud brought everything they asked for at the seventh heaven. at ten pm, cloud got home, showered, dressed and looked at the mirror. he couldn't believe he was doing that. he walked to the bar watching everyone celebrating, it was amazing to see the street so full of joy.  
he entered through the back door. marlene was talking, he didn't get to hear her.  
he opened the door and as soon as he did so, he encountered every one. all of them, looking directly at him.  
"wh…"  
"thank you cloud!" they all yelled. he looked at zack, at aerith, at marlene who was holding barret's hand and also at tifa who smiled widely.  
"thank you…?"  
"thank you for entering our lives, cloud" zack murmured holding his hand.  
"for changing them." barret whispered grumpily.  
"for making them interesting… i guess" vincent said.  
"thank you for existing cloud" aerith held his shoulders tenderly.  
"thank you cloud!" marlene hugged him.  
"you are a pain in the ass dude…" reno smiled.  
cloud smiled big, genuinely, they seemed happy, safe, healthy.

he sat between zack and aerith, tifa in front of him.  
he talked to everyone, he laughed, he cried from laughing, he drank, he felt happy. zack looked at him every time to see his rare smile on his lips. they were afraid cloud would go away but some joyful tears left his eyes quietly, all of them saw them, but cloud laughed, making everyone laugh as he dried them up quickly.  
he had never tasted happiness tears, they were less salty and less sour, he felt a warmth so special and so tender he could've cried all night long. singing the songs he used to sing with his mom with them resulted so heartwarming.

late at night, they both sat on their house's roof to see the stars. it was painfully cold  
"what was that all about?"  
"you always say you are meaningless. you always say you have done nothing in your life, you affected nobody's life." zack looks at him. "you are a big liar. i wanted to show you how you lie more than you talk." zack smiled triumphantly. "you saved all our lives" cloud looked at him.  
"i'm so happy, zack" he looked away, crying, he he hurried up to dry out his tears, but zack hugged him tenderly.  
"i am happy too, cloud" the blond kept crying from happiness as zack hugged him. "merry christmas!" he yelled.

he had never felt that happy. he felt so grateful. it was indeed a merry christmas, the first of many.

**Author's Note:**

> this is a bit rushed but i enjoyed a lot writing it and i'm trying my best. as i said is more self-indulgent than anything because this year i'm feeling particularly alone and i would really like to feel appreciated for a bit!  
> also i'm sorry this is not actually posted on /christmas/ :((  
> again i hope you enjoyed and if you feel as alone and sad as me i hope this helped a bit.  
> merry christmas again! <3


End file.
